(Seattle) – Teamsters at Oak Harbor Freight Lines in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho walked off the job last night in response to hostile efforts by company representatives to bully and intimidate workers.

Oak Harbor Freight Lines, one of the largest trucking companies on the West Coast, provides time sensitive delivery services to some of the largest companies and government agencies in the country including the Gap, Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), Safeway, Siemens, Georgia Pacific, McKesson, Owens & Minor, JC Penny, Honda, GM & Chrysler Parts, Urban Outfitters, Whirlpool, and the State of Washington.

“The last thing we want is a strike,” said Al Hobart, Teamsters Vice President and Teamster Joint Council 28 President. “We understand that service disruptions during the peak shipping season and the holiday rush hurt everyone. Oak Harbor’s owners just have not left us with any alternative. The company seems to be more interested in violating the law than protecting the interests of its customers.”

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

There have been rumors that FedEx management is planning to start their own union for FedEx workers as a way to keep the Teamsters out. It’s hard to believe that the company would go down that road, but I suppose anything is possible. Under Section 8(a)(2) of the National Labor Relations Act, it’s illegal for companies to sponsor, dominate or control labor organizations, even if they disguise what they’re doing by calling them “quality circles”, or whatever the latest buzz word happens to be.

Why? According to H. Victoria Hedian, a noted labor attorney, “To be able to participate effectively in workplace decision-making and cooperative efforts, employees must have their own organizations, in order to act as equals and without fear. Company-sponsored employee involvement programs cannot offer meaningful representation of employees concerning their grievances, wages, hours or conditions of work. It is a problem of conflict of interest. Management cannot participate in these committees for the purpose of dealing with employees on these issues, while at the same time retaining ultimate control over the participants, the process and the decision.” (The Implications of Crown Cork & Seal, Co., 334 NLRB No. 92 (2001), for Employee Involvement Committees as “Labor Organizations”…)

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Here is a prime example of Andy's corrupted prodigy Greg Faith (Operation Manager), Greg without any consideration suspended and tried to terminate a driver from Whittier. This driver was accused for driving with an expired driver license. But this driver had taking his re-examined test and passes it and submitted his copy to FedEx Whittier. During his suspension this driver went to DMV and investigated about his license, DMV told him that his driver license was current and never had any pause on record. So this driver obtained a copy from the DMV and presented it to Greg. Greg still was eager to resume a termination. But this driver contacted some of the committee from the FedEx Watch Dogs for Teamsters, that are educated in Labor Rights, and was told to bring in a witness and submit his copy again, if refused by Greg then we would file charges against FedEx. Once an arbitrator looks at his DVM record and note that this driver had proved no wrongful doing. Knowledge is power and we all know why Greg was trying to fire this driver, because this driver believes in UNION........

Sunday, September 14, 2008

When I asked Tami D. after the video was done, if she would write a letter, saying that everything that we just saw on the video was true? She said "no", it would be up to their lawyers to do something like that. Then when asked why we couldn't have a Teamster rep. here also to give information on what they have to offer, she said that "the company did not want a Teamster here".But go right ahead and get educated on what the Teamster are about. I told her by showing this video to the other employees was harassment she said " theres no harassing here". Yet after the morning dockworkers had seen the video, Chris M. was asking all the dockworkers on the dock and on the clock, " what they thought of the video?" Sorry Tami that is a form of harassment.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, so when I saw the television ads run on WMUR by the Employee Freedom Action Committee, I started to wonder. Who are these crusaders for justice, so concerned about our rights as workers?

It turns out these ads are run by a front group for Richard Berman, a Washington, D.C., lobbyist whose clients include the American beverage industry who paid him to attack Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. Forgive me for doubting that Berman is looking out for the best interests of working families.

Most of us by now have seen the "Sign Now Pay Later" anti union video through out the week here in San Bernardino, Fontana,Whittier and most likely through out the system.Well my brother and sisters this shows us all that management really does not understand about our complaints as FedEx workers and they don't understand how a Union works."Management doesn’t care about what is happening, doesn’t care about any of us, doesn’t care about what we are saying"."FedEx could have listened and responded to us but they got a video at the Blockbuster of Union Busting"."FedEx will never listen until we get serious and get into the Teamsters for real representation".

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

There are anti union videos being shown around the Southland terminals. The company that put these out is AGTS, which the company pays up to $995.00 a disk or can rent for 5 days for $250.00, thats around $212,000 for just FedEx Freight! This shows us how desperate the company is to stop a organizing campaign at any cost.

One of AGTS clients is Walmart. We know that they have gone to many measures to keep the Union out. Even so much as to tell their employee's who to vote for in the up coming Presidential elections. Sounds like Corporate manipulation, right Tom S.?

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Everyone is invited. Bring a fellow employee, a spouse, it's their future also.Don't let management scare you from attending these meetings.Get some good information from the Teamsters themselves and ask the questions you would like answered.

Don't believe management's union busting tactics,like Russ,Andy and Johnny Leyva saying that the organizers are only doing this because of a "Big" pay off after we organize FedEx ( Sounds like they know it's coming huh?). The only "Big" pay off we will get is what we are all fighting for, a Better Pension, Better Medical for Full Time And Part Time Employees and Better Wages and Respect for ALL OF US!So when Russ and the rest of FedEx management tells you this, ask them to put this in writing and sign it! Because the Biggest Pay Off I have received is working with some of the Best People in LTL,My fellow Drivers,Dockworkers,Mechanics,Hostlers,Fuelers and Clerical in The business!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Things have gotten so bad for us workers at FedEx. Now they want dockworkers to become drivers. If you fail the driver program you cannot retake it. Say bye bye to your benefits. A Union can and will stop that from happening to the full timers benefits. By Thanksgiving I guarantee these full time dockworkers will then be part time. This is due to the greed from the almighty FedEx machine. These service center managers, om's and supervisors: instead of them attending anti Union seminars and trying to divide the workplace maybe they should be defending the people who work so hard under them. They say a Union buster term that we are at "war" with them. So what are the managers going to do shoot us or what??? That is ridiculous we just want to better our work conditions and help make FedEx number one in the workplace too. They have continually treated us disrespectfully treating us like second rate workers so lets keep fighting and bring this Union in now before it is too late. Don't be scared of these tyrants trying to destroy your family just go Teamster.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Remember Tom's letter to FedEx Employees in the last "Independent Times" asking us to do our homework on the " Employee Free Choice Act" Well here is some info about his unionfacts.com website.

Center for Union Facts (really "Lies")

Home COSH Web Log Newsletters Solidarity

Research the right wing Source Watch research site Rick Berman Center for Union Facts Employment Policies Institute

Union Lies dot com: open for business moneyFull page ads recently appeared in major newspapers announcing the creationof something called The Center for Union Facts and its website unionfacts.com. Amore honest name for this new lobbying agency might be Center for Union Busting.

The Center was founded by Rick Berman, president of the lobbying firm Bermanand Company, who is notorious for setting up such front groups for business.Among Berman's spider web of front groups are the Employment Policies Institute(anti-minimum wage & anti-living wage), Center for Consumer Freedom(pro-tobacco), and American Beverage Institute (pro-drunk driving). Berman hasalso propagandized in favor of cancer causing food additives and in favor ofobesity causing diets.None of Berman's many enterprises reveal the source of their funding; howeverdocuments released in the settlement agreements with the tobacco companies shedsome light on money he received from Big Tobacco.Recent union successes, says AFL-CIO spokeswoman Lane Windham, make this anopportune time for Berman to gather money from union busting corporations. "It'snot surprising that this group has decided to fight back against workers'efforts and fight efforts to keep corporate power in check."The website compiles a lot ofpublicly available information but much of it is out of date, inaccurate, orincomplete.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co founder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "working men's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.